Resilience (Warner's World Book 6) (23 page)

The pilot nodded briefly.

Chapter 17. Mintoslum Facility 1415, 21 September

True to his word the hopper pilot touched down outside the Mintoslum facility a good five minutes before the enemy were due to touch down. 1
^st
Lt Tammy Jahir, formerly the XO of 30
^th
Coy but now the XO to the integrated Resolute Bn, was there with one of her troopers to meet them. She took one look at Dave and hailed for a medic to meet them. She offered to assist but Chase told her to lead the way while he managed to assist Dave.

Dave though insisted on hobbling 100m into the facility. They passed a section of droids and some marines posted to defend the entrance, before encountering Sgt Phil ‘Doc’ Shepparton. He insisted on Dave taking a seat in a room off the corridor they had come in on. It had all manner of technical instruments stored in a series of racks. By the look of them they were older bits of equipment being stored out of the way. Dave could not but think that perhaps the analogy also applied to him. Doc was about to cut Dave’s laces to extract the boot when Dave adamantly intervened. “Don’t do that. Let me” and he had the lace undone in a few seconds. He gave Doc a disapproving look then winced as the foot was liberated from its constriction.

“So what happened?” asked Doc.

“Ran onto an antenna stay right here” said Dave pointing to the top of his foot.

Doc finished peeling away Dave’s sock, took a quick look, applied pressure around the entry point and manoeuvred Dave’s foot to confirm no bones were broken. Then he confirmed there was no obvious extraneous material in the entry, applied some antiseptic and taped a bandage over it in short order. “Tetanus shot…when did you have your last?” he asked looking up at Dave briefly.

“I don’t know, must be in my records.” Doc reached into his bag and pulled out the biggest syringe Dave swore he had ever seen. “Hold on” said Dave.

But Doc didn’t stop. “Better safe than sorry. Off with your shirt” he ordered like a man that would broke no opposition. Dave reluctantly complied.

“Aren’t you going to prep?” asked Dave but then he winced as Doc sunk the needle deep into the muscle mass of his upper left arm. “Oh fuck that hurts worse than the bloody foot” exclaimed Dave angrily.

“That’s the idea. You’ll forget all about the foot.” Doc gave him a smile as he applied a spot bandage and added “You’re good to go Sir. I better get going myself.”

“Thanks” said Dave sarcastically.  “Has anyone ever mentioned about your bedside manner?”

“Yeah all the time” said Doc as he left the room.

Dave turned to Chase who was smiling. “Welcome to the marines Sir.”

As Dave tucked in his shirt and grabbed his kit, Jim hailed him “Their touching down now Sir, just follow the corridor in.”

“Right I’m on my way.” Dave began walking. His foot was sore but with the laces done up tight he felt OK on it. He picked up the pace and came into a large circular space dominated by some really big manufacturing equipment. Jim had setup his HQ against the outside wall where the control station for the equipment was. Several marines were hard at work placing explosive charges at various points.

“Oh hi Sir” said Jim as he spotted Dave coming in. “Are you all right?”

“Well I was until Doc took a look at me” replied Dave with a look Jim recognised from others who had encountered Doc.

“Yeah he can have that effect.”

“Are these guys nearly done yet?” asked Dave referring to the fellows laying the charges.

Jim shook his head. “They need another 30…” But he cut his reply short to respond to a hail from Ginty who was deployed with her Alpha company along the southern boundary outside of the main facility. “OK but you need to buy us 30 minutes” he hailed back. He then turned to Dave and said “Alpha Company’s coming under fire from what Ginty reckons are hundreds of warriors – no AFVs thankfully. They are 1 click south.” Jim didn’t wait for a response from Dave. He hailed his entire force. “Strong push from the south. We need to go faster with the demolition. Hurry it up.”

“Outside to the south Ginty’s integrated company was getting pounded something horrible from small arms, rocket launchers and grenade launchers. She had deployed two platoons on the front line which ran through the industrial complexes south of the main facility. They were engaging the enemy who were firing and moving their way forward. It was an unfair fight for her platoons by a good factor of three in terms of firepower, but they were taking advantage of the semi built up nature inside the warehouses and manufacturing centres.

Anyone who dared cross an exposed street or open ground was quickly dealt with. So the enemy was attacking through the buildings. They would use their rocket launchers to breach a wall, lay down a mix of smoke to blind sensors and vision, cross the open ground in a rush, storm into the building and then fight their way through it to the other side. It was costing them dearly though.

Ginty was with her third platoon in the big transport centre that abutted the facility. When she saw her forward troops run back into the centre she knew they had been routed. She had to rally them quickly before the enemy breached this line. She ran to the southern side where several trucks still were parked in their bays. But most of the bays were empty. She had her arms extended out as though these could hold back the mass of bodies running into the building.

She hailed to everyone in her company “Form up on me now. Turn around. We are going to stop these bastards dead.” She had an anxious moment as the first marine reached her. Thankfully they did turn around and the rest followed suit. Sgt Bel Rickets, the commander of her first platoon was one of the last to come through. She was huffing and puffing. “The droids?” asked Ginty.

“All gone” responded Bel in between breaths.

‘Shit’ thought Ginty but she controlled her urge to express this out loud. “Right take cover behind these vehicles. Third Platoon has your back. If the enemy break through, fall back behind them. There’s a breach in the far wall. Aim for that. It’s our exit point if we can’t hold. OK do it.” 

Ginty barely had time to get back to her third platoon position before the first enemy rockets impacted the southern wall. She gave Jim a quick report and responded ‘ten minutes’ to his question about how long she could hold. He demanded 30 but she terminated the call when the first rogan warriors charged in the breach. The fight for the transport centre was just beginning.

Inside the facility Jim took a hail from Argha advising him that his Charlie Company could not hold much longer in the east. They had been engaged by what was estimated to be a battalion of infantry supported by a company of AFVs. Only one battlewagon remained. He either needed reinforcing or they had to withdraw now. Jim turned to Dave. His eyes asked the question and Dave nodded his reply. Jim hailed back to Argha “OK withdraw back through Bravo company.” They formed the inner ring of the defensive position along with Foxtrot company from the Tenacity Battalion. The Tenacity’s Delta and Echo companies manned the north and west perimeter.

Back in the transport centre the lead rogan warriors had pushed though twenty metres into the huge building but were now being engaged on three sides. The bodies quickly piled up in the kill zone and the enemy survivors pulled out behind the southern wall. Ginty and her marines breathed a collective sigh of relief.

She took the opportunity to check her company’s strength. She was down to 21 marines and 32 droids. She had lost two thirds of her droids and one third of her marines. It had been a brutal engagement the likes of which none involved had seen before. She knew they would be back but wasn’t going to sit idle in the meantime. She ordered Bel to block the breach with one of the big trucks and she got Kong to ensure the wounded were evacuated back and everyone got a resup of ammo.

Argha was having a tougher time. His Charlie Company had to endure an air strike as they tried to withdraw. When he finally stopped behind Bravo Company and regrouped within a warehouse he mustered only 14 marines and 25 droids. He was almost in a state of shock when Jim caught up with him. His bottom lip was quivering uncontrollably. Jim realised he was for all intents and purpose hors de combat. The disruptive shock effect of coming under strike by the enemy fighters would take a while to wear off. Jim just hoped Bravo Company could hold. The more he thought about young 2
^nd
Lt Omar Hadley the more worried he became. He began jogging to where he believed Omar had his HQ.

Inside the facility Agent Aracon Haspl was arguing with Dave about his intention to blow the facility. There was a tense standoff and not just of wills. Dave and Tammy were well aware of the ISS agents, all armed and seemingly ready to use them. Tammy had hailed for backup from Foxtrot Company.

“You have no right” reiterated Aracon. “This is not the act of an ally. My orders are specific and they are to secure this facility not to destroy it.”

Finally, Dave in desperation responded “OK we will withdraw and you and your troops here can secure it.”

Aracon looked suitably alarmed at the prospect, being well aware of the number of enemy troops outside. At this moment a team from Foxtrot Company arrived and faced off against the ISS security troops. Aracon knew he had little option now but he was not one for giving up easily. “Will you not speak with Admiral Draag?”

“I did so before arriving. We are one on this.”

“Allow me to confirm that.”

“Go ahead.”

As Aracon hailed Neeblo Control, a series of explosions occurred to the south heralding the second assault into the transport centre. Tammy took the hail from Ginty requesting reinforcements to repel this latest incursion. She consulted with Dave who approved the commitment of a platoon from Foxtrot Company to join the fray.

It was a dissatisfied Aracon who finally conceded the need to demolish the facility. His ego and pride had been hurt. He wasn’t happy. “So how do you plan to do this?” he asked.

“We use our support droids to lay down a covering barrage along the front line while we withdraw Alpha and Charlie companies back through here and then north through Echo Company. As soon as they clear here, we blow this place. We’ll then conduct a fighting withdrawal northward towards Neeblo. I don’t expect the enemy will follow up hard. They are after this facility and once it blows they will probably leave.”

“Maybe” said a wary Aracon.

At that moment LCmd Lizzy Kaleb hailed Tammy, who was acting as the watch officer for the entire force. Lizzy had been the commander of the Tenacity’ 31
^st
Coy but after integration with their droids was in effect running the Tenacity Battalion. She had had little time in command of her newly formed force and had personally gone to each of her companies to ensure they were deployed well. It was when she was at the Echo Company position in the north that the enemy launched its third Battalion sized attack of the afternoon.

Tammy interrupted Dave’s conversation with Aracon. “Sir we got trouble in the north. Kaleb wants to release her tangos to Echo Company. She says they are facing at least a battalion strong force with AFV support.”

Dave let out a visible sigh. They were being encircled and he knew it.

“Does that mean we are cut off?” asked Aracon.

Dave ignored him and asked Tammy “Is the west still clear?”

“At the moment.”

“How much longer with those charges?”

“Wait” said Tammy and she hailed Sgt Udai ‘Dice’ Seshadri who was in charge of the demolitions. “Another ten minutes” said Tammy. Her face looked strained.

“Set the start time for those barrages to now plus fifteen” ordered Dave. “Change the withdrawal route. We’ll head west and then turn north once we’re clear of here. Do it now.”

Tammy gave a nod and began modifying the plan on her console. Dave turned to Aracon. “You tagging along?” Aracon nodded. “Tammy” said Dave “slot the ISS detachment into the order of march behind Bravo Company.”

Aracon looked worried. “Exactly where in the order is that?”

“Don’t worry you should have someone behind you” said Dave not hiding his displeasure.

Jim found Omar with his forward 1
^st
Platoon in a half demolished building. It was then that he realised he himself was on the front line. Thankfully there was a pause in the enemy attack as they were reorganizing for another push. Several automatic pulse guns though were still chattering away and every now and then a twang would be heard nearby.

To his credit Jim found Omar in a calm mood. He was giving instructions to one of his Sergeants. Jim waited for him to finish. Then he asked “How is it going Omar?”

“So far, so good Sir. We knocked out that AFV in front and they pulled back behind that rubble over there. I don’t think they’ve run out of puff, just reorging for another push.”

“Just so you know, I have no one between you and the facility. I’ll try and get a backstop for you from Foxtrot. You’re doing well Omar. Keep it up.” Omar smiled back and Jim turned and began jogging back to the facility across the open ground. He had gone fifty metres when the firing increased behind him. As he entered the doorway he told the two marines on guard there to stay alert.

Chapter 18. Resolute 1430, 21 September

It had taken them ages to recover the shuttles, especially the hippos which still didn’t have proper fastening systems for the battlewagons. Ivan barked at Li to hurry them up. He was about to order the intercept that he had Sue prepare when he suddenly changed his mind.

The loss of the Raptor was still playing on his mind. ‘I should never have sent the frigates in by themselves’ he chastised himself.

“Change of plan” he announced loudly. “We will marry up with the frigates on the far side of the planet, where we can all break cloak and coordinate our next move. I doubt they’ll follow us and leave their ground troops exposed and without support. Once on the far side we set up a conference and coordinate a proper plan. Anyone got a better idea?”